Bladder or bowel damage

It may be possible to repair any damage during the hysterectomy. You may need a temporary catheter to drain your urine or a colostomy to collect your bowel movements.

Infection

There's always a risk of an infection after an operation. This could be a wound infection or a urinary tract infection. These aren't usually serious and can be treated with antibiotics.

Thrombosis

A thrombosis is a blood clot that forms in a vein and interferes with blood circulation and the flow of oxygen around the body. The risk of developing blood clots increases after having operations and periods of immobility.

Vaginal problems

If you have a vaginal hysterectomy, there's a risk of problems at the top of your vagina where the cervix was removed. This could range from slow wound healing after the operation to prolapse in later years.

Ovary failure

Even if one or both of your ovaries are left intact, they could fail within five years of having your hysterectomy. This is because your ovaries receive some of their blood supply through the womb, which is removed during the operation.

Early menopause

If you've had your ovaries removed, you'll usually have menopausal symptoms soon after the operation, such as:

hot flushes

sweating

vaginal dryness

disturbed sleep

This is because the menopause is triggered once you stop producing eggs from your ovaries (ovulating).

This is an important consideration if you're under the age of 40, because early onset of the menopause can increase your risk of developing brittle bones (osteoporosis). This is because oestrogen levels decrease during the menopause.

Depending on your age and circumstances, you may need to take additional medication to prevent osteoporosis.